Damping device for railway trucks



April 6, 1954 J. c. SETTLES DAMPING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1946 INVENTOR JAMES C. SETTLES BY I dA/yq I ATTORNEYS p l 6, 1954 J. c. SETTL-ES 2,674,204

DAMPING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed March 11, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 "'IIIIIIIIIIIIIII/ INVENTOR JAMES 'CQSETTLES BY fia/v yv TORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 6, 1954 J. c. SETTLES DAMPING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed March 11, 1946 m /0 E 7 2 4 I. 5 A

Patented Apr. 6, 1954 DAMPING DEVICE FOR RAILWAKTRUCKS.

J amesC. Settles, Columbus, Ohio, assignor toTlie Buckeye 1 Steel- --Ca'stings Company, Columbus," Ohio UNITE-Di STA-res PATENT O'F'Fl'i;

Application Marchll, 1946, Serial No.- 653.582-

12'0laims: 105-'-197)'- This. invention pertains torailWaytrucks' and especially'to a novel damping device'forsuch.

trucks.

One of the obj'ectsfof the invention is toipro, vide a device of this character so constructed that the parts may be readily assembled in, or re-.

moved from, the. bolster of the. truck.

Another object is to providedamping means, the main parts of which may be of cast metal. The above, aswell. as variousother objects, will become apparent fromthe. following, description considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings which. illustrate an exemplary form of the invention- Inthe drawings Fig. 1. is a side elevatiompartly. in longitudinal vertical section, of a portion of a'. railway truck in whichthe inventio'nis embodied.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on theline 2-2 of Fig.1, but withmost. of the. bolster in its pocket at th nearside .of the bolster.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken. on the line 3-3 of. Fig. 1 with the right wedge shoe removed. from its pocket to, facilitate illustration.

Fig. 4 is a. side elevation of one end portion of.

.20. end in side elevation. and with the wedge shoe.

the bolster withoutthe wedge .shoe applied, in.

order tosho'w the'. construction of the. bolster pocket.

Fig. 5 is a. side elevationalview ofthe' bridge,

member. I

Fig... 6 is .a plan view ofv the. bridge. member.

Fig. 7 is a sectionalview taken on the. line. '|.-'I of Fig.6.

Fig- 8 is a side. elevational view ofo'ne. wedge.

shoe.

Fig-9 is an elevational view. of thef-riction. face of :one. of thewedgeshoes.

Although; the invention is illustrated as. em-.

bodied in atypical four-wheel truck with a.truss-.-.

type side frame, thedampingmeans isequally. applicable. .to other types of trucks,..as.- will be evident. from the following description.

Referring. to the. drawings,,-5,designates atrusse type. side. frame having .a bolster .opening. 6,. for. the reception. ofa bolster end], which hastop. and. .bottom .walls. Housed. within ...the. bolster end is a centrallyloc'ated vertically. disposed. spring 8' which yieldingly supports a spring. cap

or bridge 9. The, latter is provided at. its opposite "sides with outwardly projecting portions I'D which extend toward theoppositesides' "ofthe bolster and terminate in downwardly 1 diverging extremities H having inclined upper surfaces li,

slida-bly contacting similarly inclined-surfaces-IS; 3 arranged atathaiinnerasidessand at:the lower halves'of wedge shoes HI. Immediately above" th inclined surfaces [3, eachwedgeshoe is provide'd. with a transversely concaved and inclined upper surface 15 andthe surfaces l3 and I5are; so arranged that they convergetoward the 1ongitudinal median line of the bolster. The surfaces |5 are so positioned as to bear againstcomplementary inclined surfaces [6 which form the upper Webs" or back walls of wedge-receiving.

pockets l1, located in the opposite sides of the bolster. Outwardly of the inclined surfaces. I3" and 15, each wedge is formedwith a vertical friction surface ISbearing against-a wear plate l9;

secured to the web 20 of the side frame column .21! .1 'As'explained hereinafter, the spring. 8 is arranged to'move upwardly withth-e bolster, and

from the above description, it is evident that the. upward pressure of, the spring forces the spring.

cap 9 upwardly, which, in turn, moves the. wedges upwardly and in Opposite directions, against the, side frame. columns to'produce frictional resistance to control relative movement between the side frame and the bolster.

It is evident that wider variations in the..-i,n-.

clinations .of the. inclined surfaces can be made;

even to the extent of making either the upper.

surface I5 or the lower surface l3 of the wedge.

shoe and its respective cooperating surface, hori- T zontal with no change in the fundamental operation .of the device, except-one of amount of friction produced'for a. given force inspring 8'.

The'construction is such that the parts can be. readily assembled .in'the. bolster end before the bolster is applied to the side frame. Spring cap pockets. Pins (not shown) are then inserted in the aligned holes to'hold the wedgesin the-in retracted position until after .the bolster hasbeen applied to the side frame. The spring 8 is. next applied through an opening 26 in the bottomv of.-v the' bolster and afterwards spring supporting... plate 21 ('for'ming part or the'bottomwall. of the... bolster) is introduced into-the bottom h0le,.be.. neath the spring. The'latter may be compressed. by any convenient means, for. instance, by the use of a bolt- (not shown) inserted through aperturesv 28; 29 and-3i], provided for the purpose the spring supporting plat-e,- spring cap and" top 1' of the ibolster, respectively Thezbolster maybehapplie'd to- 'the side frame and the truck operated with the bolt in place, or if preferred, the bolt may be removed after a pin or cotter has been inserted in each of the holes 3|, provided in lugs 32 which project from diametrically opposite sides of the plate 2'! and are adapted to extend through notches or slots 33, communicating with the hole in the bottom of the bolster.

The wedge retaining pins are withdrawn from the holes 23 and 24 after the bolster has been applied to the side frame and lowered on to load supporting spring coils 34. The cotters may be left in holes 3| to retain the plate 2'! in position when the bolster is later raised for shimming the truck or other service operations, such as changing the load carrying springs 34.

The hole occupied by the plate 2! is preferably countersunk and the plate is provided with an offset portion or circular flange (Fig. 2), adapted. to underlie and overlap a simiiarcooperating offset portion 36 formed by the bottom of the bolster and surrounding the hole 28. When the cooperating surfaces thus provided are drawn into contact by any of the above-described means, th bottom surface 3! of plate 21' is in the same horizontal plane as the bottom surface 38 of the bolster, and these surfaces form a continuous surface for supporting the bolster on the load supporting springs 35. In service, when the truck carries a load, the pressure of the underlying spring 34 against the bottom of the plate 21, is greater than the pressure of spring 8 against the top of that plate, and the above mentioned overlapping portions 35 and 35 function to transmit load from the bolster to the spring 35.

If preferred, spring 8 may be compressed when assembling the truck by merely lowering the bol ster on springs 34 and applying load to the bolster when spring 8 and plate 2i are in their uncompressed positions. Cotters can then be ap plied to holes 3| to hold the spring 8 in comp'ressed'position for convenience when the bolster is raised during possible later servicing of the truck.

From the above description, it is evident the entir damping means may be inverted in the bolster, if preferred, so that the spring 8 is applied from the top of the bolster and the spring cap member 9 serves as a spring seat and forces the wedges M downwardly and outwardly against the side frame columns 2i. The functioning of such an inverted device would be fundamentally the same as that illustrated and described above.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in the details illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in th following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway truck, a side frame having a bolster opening therein, guide columns defining the sides of said opening, a bolster having an end portion extending into thebolster opening, top

clined surface forming the top back wall of the other pocket, a bridge member horizontally disposed between the top and bottom wall of the bolster, a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface carried by one end of the bridge member within one pocket, a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface carried by the other end of the bridge member within the other pocket, a wedge shoe within each of said pockets engaging the associated guide columns, two angularly related surfaces on each wedge shoe with one angular surface engaging the inclined surface at one end of the bridge member and the other angular surface engaging the inclined surface on the web of the bolster, a helical spring within the bolster engaging an intermediate portion of the bridge member at its upper end and the bottom wall of of the spring, and said openings being adapted and bottom walls on the end portion of the bolster,

resilient means supporting the end portion of the bolster on the side frame, said end portion of the V to receive a bolt to compress said spring and retract the bridge member from a position urging the shoes into engagement with the guide columns.

2; In a railway car truck, a side frame having I .,top and bottom walls on the end portion for the bolster, said bottom wall having an opening therein, a helical spring of less diameter than said opening arranged within the bolster, a plate closing said opening in the bottom wall of the bolster and forming a seat for said spring, a bridge member within the bolster engaged at its intermediate portion by the upper end'of said spring and urged upwardly by the spring, downwardly inclined end portions carried by said bridge member, outwardly inclined surfaces carried by the bolster, said bolster having pockets therein adjacent the ends of said bridge member, wedge shoes within said pockets, a sloping'surface on each shoe engaging the associated in- .clined surface of the bolster, a second sloping surface on each shoe engaged by the associated inclined end portion on the bridge member to urge the shoes out of said pockets, said plate having an opening therein aligned with the axis of said spring, and said bridge having an opening therein aligned with the opening in the plate for receiving a bolt to compress said spring.

3. In a railway truck, a side frame having a bolster opening therein, guide columns defining the sides of said opening, a bolster having an end portion extending'into the bolster opening,

spaced top and bottom walls forming a part of the end portion of the bolster, resilient means supporting the bolster on the side frame, said end portion of the bolster having pockets in opposite sides thereof, an upwardly and outwardly inclined surface forming the top wall of one pocket, an upwardly and outwardly inclined surface forming the top wall of the other pocket, a bridge member disposed between the top and bottom wall of the bolster, a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface carried by one end of the bridge member within one pocket, a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface carried by the other end of the bridge member within .the

otherbocket, a Wedge shoeswithin each of said aeimganm pockets. engagingthe; associated .guideacolumns,

two angular surfaces on each wedge. shoe for engaging the inclined surface at one 'endof the bridgememberandthe inclined-surface at the top-ofonepocket, a helical springwithin the bolster engaging-an intermediate portion of the bridge member at its upper end,-said bridge member having an opening thereinaligned with the axis of the spring-;the top wall of the bolster having an opening therein aligned with theopening-in the-bridge-member, thebottom wall of the-bolsterhaving an opening larger than the diameter of said spring; a plate closing the opening---in the bottom-wail of said bolster forming a spring seat for the lower end of said helical spring,-means-maintaining the plate in position closing said opening and compressing said spring tourge-the bridge member upwardly, and said plate having an opening therethrough aligned with' the axisof said spring. I

4. In a railway truck, -a side frame having a bolster opening therein, guide columns defining the sidesof saidopening, a bolster having an end portion extending into the bolster opening, spaced top and bottom walls forming a part of theend portion of'the bolster, resilient means supporting the bolster on the side frame, said end portion of the bolster having pockets in oppositesides thereof-,an upwardly and outwardly inclined surface forming the'top wall of one Q pocket, an upwardly and outwardly inclined surface forming the top wall of the other pocket, a bridge member disposed betweenthe-top and bottom wall of the bolster, a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface carried by one end of the bridge member within one pocket, a downwardly and outwardlyinclined surface carried by the other end of the bridge member within the other pocket, a wedge shoe within each of said pockets engaging the associated guide columns, two angular surfaces on each wedge shoe for engaging the inclined surface at one end of the bridge member and the inclined surface at the top of one pocket, a helical spring within the bolster engaging an intermediate portion of the bridge member at its upper end, said bridge member having an opening therein aligned with the axis of the spring, the top wall of the bolster having an opening therein aligned with the opening inthe bridge member, the bottom wall of thebolster having an. opening larger than the diameter of said spring, said, opening in the bottom wall having slots communicating therewith, a plate closingthe opening in the bottom wall of the bolster and forming a spring seat for said helical spring, lugs carried by said plate extend)- ing through said slots, each of said lugs having an opening therethrough for receiving means to maintain the plate in a position closing the opening in the bottom wall of the bolster to compress said spring and urge the bridge member up wardlyg, and said plate having; an opening therethrough alignedwith theaxisof said spring.

5. ha railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening therein, a bolster hayingan end portion extending into said, opening, top and bottom, walls on the end portion of the bolster,

said bottom wall having an opening therein, a

bridge member within the bolster arranged transversely of the end portion, inclined, end: surfaces carried by the bridge-member, inclinedv surfaces carried by the bolster providing pockets in .thesides of the bolster, a wedge shoe in each, of said pockets,,a sloping surfaceon each shoe engaging the; associated inclined. surface onthe bolster, a. second sloping surfacei oneachlshoeengaged. ibyathe associated inclined surface on the bridgemembena helicalspring of smaller diameter than. the: opening in said bottom wall engaging an intermediateportion of .the bridge" member, a plate engaging the-lower end of said springzclosing the. opening in thebottomwall of the. bolster. compressing-said spring and-resilientlyimaintaining the bridgemember with the inclined end. surfaces thereon in engagementwith the slopingsurfaces of s the wedge shoes, and

springs engaging the bottom wall of the bolster and said plate resiliently supporting the end portion-of the bolster onthe side frame. and urging said plate upwardly to a position closing the-openingin the'bottomwall of the bolster.

6. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening therein, a bolster havinganend portion extending into said opening, top and bottom walls on thewend portion of the bolster,

said bottom wall :having an opening therein,

a bridge membe'r within the bolsterarranged transversely of the end portion, inclined endsurfaces carried by the bridge member, inclined surfaces carried by the bolster, a wedge shoe at each side of the bolster, a sloping surface on-each shoeengaging the associated inclined surface on the bolster,- a second sloping surface on each shoe engaged by theassociated' inclined surface on the bridge member, a helical spring of smaller diameter than the opening in saidbottomwall' engaging an intermediate portion of the bridge member at its upper end, a plate engaging the lower end of said springclosing the opening in the bottom wall of the bolster compressing said.

spring and resiliently'maintaining the bridge member with the inclined, surfaces thereon in engagement with the sloping surfaces of the wedge shoes, springs resiliently supporting the end portion of the bolster on the side frame and one of said springs engaging the plate urging it toa position closing the opening in the bottom wall of the bolster, and said inclined surfacesbottom of the bolster; a pair of friction blocks,

with sloping inner ends slidably arranged in each pocket and adapted to contact the top wall of the pocket and the, adjacent portion of the truck side frame; the friction blocks and a bolster side friction blocks and having, end sloping surfaces.

matching and in contact with the inner ends of thefriction blocks, vertically disposed springs ar-.. ranged. in said wedge blocks for controlling the wedging relation between the Wedge blocks and the friction blocks; spring supporting means for said springs arranged in theabolster bottom open- 8. In a railway car truck bolster stabilizer, a

sidev frameprovided with a bolsteropening; a bolster having: an end portion extending intosaid bolsteraopening said bolster..-.having a trans-t:

versely disposed pocket open at opposite sides of the friction shoes, a vertically disposed spring arranged under said wedge member moving it upwardly to urge the friction shoes into engagement 1 with the side frame, a rigid member engaging the lower end of said spring arranged in the opening at the bottom of the bolster, said rigid memberv being formed to receive means holding it in association with the lower end of said spring during assembly, and load supporting springs carried by the side frame engaging said bolster end portion and said rigid member maintaining the same in position compressing said s ring.

9. In a stabilized railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening, a bolster having an end portion extending into said bolster opening, said bolster having a transversely disposed pocket open at opposite sides of the bolster and having an opening through a bottom of the bolster, a pair of friction shoes with sloping inner ends slidably arranged in said pocket and adapted to contact adiacent portions of the side frame, a wedge member in said pocket intermediate the friction shoes and having end sloping surfaces in contact with the sloping inner ends of the friction shoes, a vertically disposed spring arranged under said wedge member moving it upwardly to urge the friction shoes into engagement with the side frame, a rigid member engaging the lower end of said spring arranged in the opening at the bottom of the bolster, lugs extending upwardly from diametrically opposite portions of said rigid member, said lugs being formed to receive means extending transversely within the bolster holding it in association with the lower end of said spring during assembly, and load supporting springs carried by the side frame engaging said bolster end portion and said rigid member maintaining the same in position compressing said spring.

10. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening, a bolster having an end portion extending into said bolster opening, a bottom wall on said bolster, said bolster having a transversely disposed pocket open at opposite sides of the bolster and having an opening through said bottom wall, a pair of friction shoes having sloping inner ends slidably arranged in said pocket and adapted to contact adjacent portions of the side frame, a wedge member in said pocket intermediate the friction shoes having end sloping surfaces in contact with the sloping inner ends of the friction shoes, a vertically disposed spring arranged under said wedge member moving it upwardly to move the friction shoes into engagement with the side frame, a rigid member engaging the lower end of said spring arranged in the opening in the bottom wall of the bolster, lugs extending upwardly from said rigid member laterally of said spring having horizontally disposed openings for receiving means supported on an upper surface of said bottom wall to hold the rigid member in association with the lower end of said spring during assembly, and load supporting springs carried by the side frame engaging said bolster end portion and said rigid member maintaining the same in position compressing said spring.

11. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening, a bolster extending into said bolster opening, a bottom wall on the bolster, said bolster having pockets therein open at the sides of the bolster and having an opening through said bottom wall, a friction shoe arranged in each pocket for outward movement into engagement with adjacent portions of said side frame, two diverging surfaces on each friction shoe with each surface inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, a wedge member within the bolster intermediate the friction shoes, a downwardly sloping end surface on the wedge member in contact with one inclined surface. of one friction shoe, a downwardly sloping end surface on the wedge member in contact with one of the inclined surfaces on the other friction shoe, an upwardly and outwardly sloping surface on the bolster within one pocket engaged by the second inclined surface on one friction shoe, an upwardly and outwardly sloping surface on the bolster within the other pocket engaged by the second inclined surface on the other friction shoe, a vertically disposed helical spring arranged under said wedge member moving it upwardly to urge the friction shoes into engagement with the side frame, a rigid member engaging the lower end of said spring ar.. ranged in the o ening of the bottom wall or the bolster, and means maintaining said rigid memoer within said opening and compressing said helical spring.

12. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a bolster opening, a bolster extending into said bolster opening, vertically spaced horizontal walls forming a top and a bottom of the bolster, said holster having pockets therein open at the sides of the bolster, a friction shoe arranged in each pocket for outward movement into engagement with adjacent portions of said side frame, two surfaces on each friction shoe diverging from a horizontal plane intermediate said walls, a wedge member within the bolster intermediate the friction shoes, a sloping end surface on the wedge member in contact with one surface of one friction shoe, a sloping end surface on the wedge member in contact with one of the surfaces on the other friction shoe, a sloping surface on the bolster within one pocket engaged by the second surface on one friction shoe, a sloping surface on the bolster within the other pocket engaged by the second surface on the other friction shoe, and a vertically disposed helical spring compressed between an intermediate portion of the wedge member and one of said walls moving the wedge member vertically to urge the friction shoes into engagement with the side frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 655,376 Schaffer et al Aug. '7, 1900 659,993 Symons Oct. 16, 1900 972,921 Ritter Oct. 18, 1910 2,053,989 Goodwin Sept. 8, 1936 2,257,109 Davidson Sept. 30, 1941 2,347,463 Couch Apr. 25, 1944 2,365,198 Lehrman Dec. 19, 1944 2,378,415 Light June 19, 1945 2,392,597 Lehrman Jan. 8, 1946 2,392,599 Light Jan. 8, 1946 2,422,201 Lehrman June 17, 1947' 2,444,011 Lehrman June 22, 1948 2,583,144 Hamilton Jan. 22, 1952 1 

